Reality Checkup!

[NotTaken]

Ok so for the past few months I have been doing research in the hopes of one day making my own soap and B&B products. I think that I am at the point of being ready to try out my first few recipies. I plan on selling my products locally at a small craft store and want to know if I am being reasonable. I I have figured that I will take the next six or so months and try out basic recipes. I want to start out with CP or MP soaps, bath bombs or melts, salts or milks and maybe teas. Is this realistic or am I getting ahead of myself. Once I get comfortable with those I want to take the next couple of years and spend time perfecting lotions and creams.

I have a tendency to be some what retentive in my planing and I want to know if I am headed in the right direction.

 

[dagmar88]

Hey there.
First of all, I'm so glad you ask these questions!
6 months to start selling CP is just not realistic. First you got to learn how to make soap, then follows a loooong process of perfecting your recipe(s) and then it takes at least a year, but more likely two, to know how your product is going to hold up in time...
Not to mention the business side of things! :roll:
You'd better start with M&P and the bathing products you stated.
Personally, I would advise you to take at least a year to orientate myself and to be able to quarantee good & stable products.

Good luck!

 

[kittywings]

I agree with Dagmar, I've been tweaking for about a year now especially with my lotions, if you haven't even made soap yet, 6 months is WAY too soon.

 

[Tabitha]

After doing a good amount of reasearch I would jump in & start making things so you have time to set them aside & go back in 6 months to see how they are holding up. From there you will know what needs tweaking.

 

[NotTaken]

Thank you all so much for your input! I had a feeling I was being a little too optimistic in my numbers! I am so glad I found this forum. I have learned more in the past week here than I had in a month web surfing!! I think that I am ready to finnally purchase some some product and get started! I will be sure to let everyone know how the batch turns out! Thanks again!

 

[lsg]

Before you start selling lotions, creams etc. check out federal regulations. In an email to its members, the Hand Crafted Soapmakers' Guild advised anyone who plans on selling these items to register with the FDA.

Here is a quote from the newsletter:

"The FDA Globalization Act of 2009 (HR-759) is dead, but the content may be used to create a new 2010 version. We have conflicting information on the timetable, the new bill could come into existence as early as January 2010. It is likely to contain the following provisions that would affect us:
Mandatory Registration with the FDA
There is currently a voluntary registration program (VCRP) for cosmetics manufacturers, which requires submission of name, address and similar information. From what we heard, the feel is that they are pushing for mandatory registration of all cosmetic manufacturers and products.
Since we have to pick our battles, directly opposing mandatory registration of facilities would give the impression that we have something to hide (which, of course, we don’t). However, registration of all products and ingredients (and their subsequent revisions) would be a burden to small manufacturers who make relatively tiny batches. Therefore, we oppose any new legislation that imposes product and ingredient registration, unless such legislation contains an exemption of small businesses.
In the meantime, it is our recommendation that if you are operating a cosmetics business in the United States that you go ahead and voluntarily register soon."

 

[NotTaken]

Thanks for the information about regulations. My luck by the time I get to the point of selling they will have 5 more to add! I am trying to find out as much now so that I can keep up to date so when I get to that point I am prepared!

 

[mandolyn]

Ok so for the past few months I have been doing research in the hopes of one day making my own soap and B&B products. I think that I am at the point of being ready to try out my first few recipies. I plan on selling my products locally at a small craft store and want to know if I am being reasonable. I I have figured that I will take the next six or so months and try out basic recipes. I want to start out with CP or MP soaps, bath bombs or melts, salts or milks and maybe teas. Is this realistic or am I getting ahead of myself. Once I get comfortable with those I want to take the next couple of years and spend time perfecting lotions and creams.

I have a tendency to be some what retentive in my planing and I want to know if I am headed in the right direction.

Your wisdom is in having asked the question! I say 1 year minimum, but 2 is better.

Many times I have had people buy soap & say it's too pretty to use. People will use your soap in their drawers as sachets, or leave them on the bathroom counter for month & months just to enjoy the scent. Sometimes they stash them away for months to give as gifts. The question then is, "What will your soap be like in 6 months or 8 months or a year? If you haven't waited it out, you don't know.

I purchased a competitor's soap at our local coop. In less than 6 months it smelled rancid, & I tossed it. That angered me:
1. I wasted my money
2. That handcrafted soap was a reflection on the entire handcrafted soapmaking community. Are her customers going to assume that all handcrafted soaps smell funky after a few months?!!

You need to know all the regs. What pushes your soap from soap into the "cosmetic" class & what does that mean as far as cosmetic regs? What pushes your lotion or cream into the drug arena, & what are the regs regarding that?

After you've gotten all that under your belt, what are your state & local regs on selling? You'll need a tax ID. Do city zoning laws forbid you from manufacturing in your home? You'll need liability insurance & that's NOT cheap! Will manufacturing in your make your homeowner's insurance null & void?

These are only a handfull of things to consider. You have a long learning curve ahead of you. You need to learn to formulate & test your formulas. That means researching each ingredient you plan to use - oils, butters, scenting materials (FO's, EO's), & research any additives you plan to use to avoid those that are known sensitisors, or outright harmful to use. While researching, you'll need to figure out which info is reliable & which isn't.

You'll need to learn when to use preservatives & which one you need for each type of product you make. Your lotions & creams should be tested to make sure the preservative you chose is really working.

Then, there's packaging & labelling. You'll need to learn the proper way to label your products using INCI nomenclature.

So, I don't mean to sound discouraging, & as you already know, there's a lot to consider before selling. I just like to put that out there for other new people to see & consider.

 

[pkd.veronica]

Wow, mandolyn!! All things I will be showing to my daughters (almost 16 & 14). We had considered selling at local craft fairs, but we decided to just stick to giving away our projects to family, friends, co-workers (mine & hubby's) and teachers/coaches (theirs). We're getting requests to sell--these are all valid points we can quote to those people about why we're NOT going into business!

I knew there was a lot to do getting prepared, but to see it all lined out in one fantastic post. Along with the what if's..... :shock:

 

[mandolyn]

Wow, mandolyn!! All things I will be showing to my daughters (almost 16 & 14). We had considered selling at local craft fairs, but we decided to just stick to giving away our projects to family, friends, co-workers (mine & hubby's) and teachers/coaches (theirs). We're getting requests to sell--these are all valid points we can quote to those people about why we're NOT going into business!

I knew there was a lot to do getting prepared, but to see it all lined out in one fantastic post. Along with the what if's..... :shock:

Thanks for being so receptive to all that Veronica. Lots of people rush into selling without having all their ducks in a row, or even caring to try to. I'm just passing along what I've learned & what other soapmakers shared with me in the beginning when I wanted to sell right away.

Your lucky family & friends get to enjoy your heart's work for free for a while, & when you're ready to sell, you'll have a solid base of customers who'll keep coming back & who'll tell their family & friends to give your products a try.

The added benefit of waiting a year is that when you sell, you'll feel confident talking to your customers about your products, & you'll have good sound info to give them based on all the research & testing you did through that year.